Ciera Sad Wade Profile on Bobby LeBlanc You might catch the diehard sports lover, clad in his

bright red Boston Red Sox hooded sweatshirt, reading about the Red Soxs latest victory in The Boston Globe or checking the Entertainment Sports and Programming Networks website for updates when hes not at spaghetti dinner Tuesdays at the Catholic Center or attending mass at Marsh Chapel Church on weekdays and, of course, on Sundays. For Boston University sophomore Bobby LeBlanc, 20, sports and faith define the person he is today. The sports craze started with his father, Bob LeBlanc, who played soccer and baseball for Babson College and won two National Collegiate Athletic Association division three championships. Bobbys father coached him in soccer when he played for the Greater Libertyville Soccer Association when he was six or seven years old. He loved seeing my play soccer. He was always there on the sidelines, no matter how well I played, Bobby said, referring to both during his youth and adolescent years. Hed even get home early from work and play catch or kick the soccer about around with me. There are some good memories [of that]. In high school, Bobby played on the junior varsity soccer team through junior year, serving as a midfielder and defense player. He also played intramural basketball and flag football. However, the sports fan never had the chance to play what he calls his favorite, but not best sport -- baseball. I tried out for the baseball team at Carmel High my freshman year, and I didnt make the team, Bobby said. I continued to play for fun. When I got to Libertyville High, I could have

tried out, but I decided not to. I was being stubborn, and I regret not playing competitive baseball in high school. Im really glad I continued with soccer, though. Bobbys sports immersion eventually lured him into the world of sports journalism. Bobby credits his father as being the person who turned him onto Boston sports. ESPNs Bill Simmons, who exclusively covers Boston sports, caught Bobbys attention because of his style. I like his style because he incorporates movie quotes, he said. Hes funny and very knowledgeable about sports. Before discovering Bill Simmons, Bobby thought he would major in business like his father since he didnt have any other ideas. I quickly realized thats not what I wanted to do nor was it something I was passionate about, he said. I decided to go into the [College of Communication] instead of the [School of Management] from the [College of General Studies]. Even though sports writing appeals to Bobby, he does not want to limit his dream of working in sports to just writing. I just want to be working in sports -- whether its writing, blogging, or working at a sports TV or radio station, he said. Its my passion. It is no surprise that the one sport Bobby wants to cover is baseball in particular, the Boston Red Sox. For Bobby, there is no sport like baseball, which he describes as unique and more intellectual than any other sport. I love following something thats bigger than me, and I love the game, no matter how theyre playing. I enjoy following them. I love the atmosphere at sports games, he said. One player Bobby would like to write about someday is Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester due to his comeback from lymphoma in 2006.

Thats just so awesome, Bobby said, referring to Lesters ability to continue playing. Almost every player has a story, and I love learning about different players and how they came to be. Bobbys father inadvertently helped his son with the practical side of life through fostering his sons love of sports. His mother, Joyce LeBlanc, on the other hand, found her niche in the spiritual side of Bobbys life. His mother, a devout Catholic, took Bobby to church ever since he can remember. I did CCD growing up, which the kids would do every Sunday, and the goal was to teach about the faith, he said. After Bobbys confirmation in eighth grade, his mother began to push him to be more active in his faith. Thats why I went to Carmel [High], a private Catholic school, for my freshman year, he said. My mom suggested and pushed it. I decided to go for her; however, I realize that if I had put up a bigger fight I wouldnt have had to go. After missing his friends during his year at Carmel, he transferred to Libertyville High. He said he still had to promise his mother that he would remain active in his faith while at a public high school. Bobby attended Bible studies and went on retreats through his senior year. It was not until Bobbys freshman year in college that he was finally ready to make the religion his own. He attended the Catholic Centers events during his first weekend at BU, which his mother encouraged. According to Bobby, it was after this first step that he realized how important taking a participatory role in his faith was to him.

Faith means everything to me, he said. Its the foundation of my life; its what keeps me going. When I got to BU, I got involved in the community, but I was yearning for something more that I wasnt getting just out of watching and participating in sports. Bobby is an active member in the Catholic Center at Marsh Chapel. The Catholic Center has Sunday mass, daily mass, confession and rosary throughout the week. It also sponsors events outside of the church such as a talent night at the B.U. Caf in March and faith-related retreats two times during the school year. Ive seen what having a faith life can do, he said. Its changed my life because I wasnt considering moral activities in high school. I was into not so good activities. Now, I see how faith brings out the best in a community. A poignant example of faith bringing out the best in people is a friend Bobby met in his freshman year at BU who showed him how faith can change a persons life. [Prior to meeting him] all he did was party and get drunk, like a frat guy. I didnt know him when he was like that, but last year when I met him, I never would have known what kind of person he was like, Bobby said. He would even hold his hands up during praise and worship. Hes the most holy kid I know here. Since becoming a member of the Catholic Center, Bobby has gone on four retreats to Kennebuck, Me.; Waltham, Ma.; and Billerica, Ma. Bobby still remembers his first retreat, where he served as a small group leader, in Maine with 100 people in attendance. Bobby described the second day of the retreat, Saturday, as the most intense day out of the entire retreat with a combination of confession, the touching of the garment, small group prayer, rosary and adoration.

During the touching of the garment, the priest, who is wearing robes, walks around the room, holding the Eucharist as people sing. Each person picks up the garment that hangs from the priest, puts his or her face in it and prays. Once the touching of the garment ends, they do a small group prayer honoring one person who stands in the middle of the group while the rest of the group members place their hands upon that person, asking God for prayers for that person. Bobby remembers the scene as moving and powerful with lots of crying. The adoration, which is the exposed Eucharist, ends the night. Anyone can go into the chapel at all times throughout the night to pray because the exposed Eucharist cannot be left unattended. Bobby defines the goal of the retreats to grow closer to Jesus and God and to figure out how to take that back to campus. Nonetheless, Bobby aims to maintain the retreat high he feels once he is back oncampus, where he has the help of his community to hold him in faith while still enjoying the frantic sports lifestyle.